Together, Always Together
by MissingMommy
Summary: This isn't the way it was supposed to end. :: Padma, Parvati, and surviving in a cruel world. :: Padma/Parvati. AU, cest, non-linear. For Paula.


For the Quidditch League. Beater 1 – write about a Ravenclaw. Additional prompts are: "when a war ends, what does that look like exactly" – Sleeping, Andrea Gibson, "life is an awful, ugly place not to have a best friend" – Sarah Dessen, and bruises.

For All Sorts Of Love: 'cesty love.

Warnings: This is AU. Voldemort wins. Everyone dies. Incest. Angst. The works. Non-linear.

For Paula. I know that this isn't Ron/Ginny everyone dies!AU, but have some Parvati/Padma everyone dies!AU instead. I love you.

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"When will this be over?" you ask in a hushed whisper. Your question echoes in the cellar.

Your sister looks at you through the darkness and shakes her head. "I don't know," she replies, even though she knows it's not the answer you were looking for.

.

Your sister holds on to your arm tightly as the people in the Room of Requirement exit quickly. "Stay by me, Pads," she commands. "We'll do this together."

You admire her. She's always been the one to act first and think later, getting the two of you into a lot of trouble as children. And even now, she's willing to rush off into danger without a second thought because it's what is right to her. You envy that.

Even now, as you rush along beside her, you wonder if this is the right choice – fighting. Yes, Harry's back, and yes, Voldemort needs to be stopped. But you're barely adults with no_ real_ fighting experience, and Wizards with many more years of experience are dying at the hands of this man. It terrifies you and you wonder if it scares her at all.

As she walks along the halls, it looks like she's perfectly confident; it sends a wave of courage through your body.

Tonight, you will be like Parvati and fight because it's what's right. Tomorrow, you will look back on it and analyze your decision.

.

Parvati tosses and turns in her sleep, causing you to glance over at her. She scratches at the hard ground of the cave you've taken refuge in. Sweat gathers on her forehead and her face scrunches up in pain.

You move next to her, running your hand along the side of her cheek. "Par," you whisper as softly as you can. It still echoes in the cave. "You need to wake up. It's only a dream." You repeat the last statement several more times, trying to convince yourself that this isn't reality. Your hand moves to stroking her tangled hair.

Her brown eyes flutter open, and tears leak out. You hate seeing her cry because you know that you can do nothing to make it better. You can't make this better for anyone.

She grabs your hand and pulls you closer to her. "Hold me, Pad," she whispers. Her voice breaks, and you know that she's hurting. "Please, just hold me."

You nod and gather her in your arms, trying to shield her from her memories and the nightmares. "I'm here. Always here," you repeat to her until she's fallen asleep. This time, she sleeps peacefully for the first time in a long time.

.

"No, no, no," Parvati repeats. She's sitting on the hallway floor, holding Lavender's bloody head in her lap. She strokes Lavender's cold cheek lovingly, tears pouring down her face. "Why her?" she asks, looking up at you.

You stand up and shake your head because you don't know. "Par, we need to go. There can still be Death Eaters around here," you say, because you've always been the logical one. Besides that, you're trying to avoid the question.

She looks up at you with tearstained cheeks. "I don't care," she whispers, never stopping her motions. "I don't want to fight anymore, Pads," she sobs.

"I know," you reply, crouching down to her level. When she turns back to look at Lavender, you say, "But we need to. This war isn't going to finish itself. Are we really going to let her die in vain? Because if we don't fight, that's exactly what we're doing."

She nods and wipes away her tears. Gently, she holds Lavender's head up, slipping out from under it. She takes your hand in hers and pulls you along the empty hallway, a new found will in her eyes.

.

"I loved her, you know," she tells you one night. The stars are shining down on you and your stomach growls with hunger. The two of you sit beneath a tree, too afraid to start a fire.

You nod. "I suspected that. After all, people tend to fall for their best friends," you say matter-of-factly. You say it because it's true, and because you want her to catch your hint. You love her, in ways that you're not supposed to. Sometimes, you wish that you could blame it on the fact that she's the only person you've seen in months, but you know that's not true.

She gives you a smile. "You're my best friend. Always have been," she whispers. And for a brief moment, you think she did get your hint. But you don't let yourself entertain that idea.

Instead, you change the subject because it's breaching dangerous waters. "I wonder if the others are okay."

You haven't gotten any news about other survivors because you tend to stay away from towns for your own safety. You wonder if they are out there, looking up at the same sky as you.

Parvati slips her hand into yours and squeezes. "I'm sure they're just fine."

.

"Harry Potter's dead."

You can't believe what you're hearing. Harry Potter can't be dead. He's the reason you're fighting. He's the only way that you could've won this war.

Parvati shakes next to you. You squeeze her hand in comfort.

"I am Lord Voldemort and I killed Harry Potter," he announces, his hands held high.

You watch as Neville Longbottom holds a sword up. "For Harry," he screeches as he rushes forward. He makes two steps before he falls to the ground, moving silently in pain. You know that he can handle the pain of the Cruciatus curse, as it was the Carrows' favorite.

A woman beside Voldemort, with long, tangled black hair and murder in her eyes moves forward, her wand aimed at Neville. "Just like your parents, I see. Don't worry, I'll break you like I broke them," she assures him sadistically.

As you watch in horror, you can't help but think that this isn't how it was supposed to end.

.

"Take the memories away, Pad. I don't want them anymore," she begs you.

You look at her. Her face is dirty, her hair is tangled, and you still see some of Lavender's blood on her school uniform. She's giving you a desperate look, one that says she's tired of remembering the bad.

Despite the fact that you just want to make everything okay again, you shake your head. "I can't, Par. If I took away your memories, you wouldn't be _you_. Memories are what make us human. And we have to be human, now more than ever."

She gives you a half-hearted smile, the first one you've seen in months. "I know," she assures you. "I just had to ask."

"I know."

.

"Kill all those who stand against me," Voldemort orders. "I don't care about their blood status. Kill them all."

Parvati raises her wand, preparing to fight. Before she can rush off into battle, you tighten your hold on her hand. "No, Par," you tell her. "We need to get out of here!"

She shakes her head. "We can't just let him win. We _have_ to fight," she replies heatedly. "Otherwise, it would be a disgrace to their memories." She's throwing your words back in your face and she knows it.

But you don't care. You're not willing to die today, and you're not willing to let her die either. "Let's live to fight another day, Par," you say. "We don't stand a chance against them. Not as we are right now."

She looks at you, and glances back at the battlefield.

"I know this goes against everything you stand for, Par. But _please_," you beg. "I don't want you to die."

She nods. "Let's do this together, then," she agrees, allowing you pull her out of Great Hall and up the steps. The two of you quickly make your way to the seventh floor and to the Room of Requirement.

It's the only way to survive.

.

The cellar of the Malfoy Manor is dark, though you can still hear the sounds of the others that have been captured. You sit with Parvati's head in your lap, stroking her hair and occasionally her cheek. Her breathing is ragged and she occasionally coughs in her sleep.

Your stomach growls in hunger but you know that nothing is coming. You're going to die. The Death Eaters are going to starve you because it's the slowest way possible.

"I'm sorry," you whisper to her. You're sorry that you couldn't protect her. You're sorry that you got the two of you caught.

"Don't be," she replies. She sits up despite your protests. She leans heavily against you, exhausted by the movement. She shivers but you have no warmth to provide her. "I wouldn't let them take just you. We're in this together, remember?"

You kiss her softly, holding her small frame in your own equally thin one. Because if you're going to die here, you're going to die happy.

.

A Snatcher grabs your arm, holding it tight enough to cause a bruise. You stay silent because Parvati is near and you don't want them to catch her, too. "Is this one on our list," asks the Snatcher holding onto you.

"I don't know. Does it matter?" the other one replies. "Let's just get her back to Headquarters."

"Padma!" Parvati shouts, drawing attention to herself.

You freeze for half a moment. "Run! Get out of here!" you cry out. But she doesn't. She stands her ground like the Gryffindor she's always been. The part of you that isn't angry with her, envies her courage.

"Like hell I will," she replies determinedly. You struggle against the Snatcher's grip, trying to break free and help her. He slaps you hard, causing you to fall limp.

It takes a while for Parvati to be subdued. But when she is, the Snatcher wears a sadistic smile. "What do you say we teach this one a lesson before we go?" he asks his partner. He runs his wand down Parvati's cheek.

"Bastard," Parvati spits.

The Snatcher backslaps Parvati hard enough to form a bruise. "Watch who you're talking to, girl."

You've never felt angrier than you did in that moment. But you couldn't do anything because of the tight grip on your upper arm as they lead you away.

.

Parvati's body goes limp as she falls to the ground, screaming in agony. You're frozen, watching in horror. "Stop, please! Stop!" you cry helplessly. "Please," you beg.

When they just laugh at you, you force your tired body into the standing position and launch yourself at them. The laughter dies out as you punch one of them in the face. "I said, stop!"

You're on the ground, fire running through your veins. You can't help the scream that tears itself from your throat. But you would much rather they hurt you than Parvati. She's too sick and the pain might just destroy her.

When they finally leave, Parvati pulls your head into her lap. "I'm sorry," she whispers.

"Not your fault," you pant out. But you know that she doesn't believe you.

.

This isn't the way it was supposed to end. Harry should've won, and the Death Eaters should've been put in Azkaban.

Instead, Voldemort won. And the world is in utter chaos.

You wonder if there will ever be someone like Harry to stand up to Voldemort again. Because this is not the way it should've ended.

.

"I love you," she breathes.

You put your fingers to her too dry lips. "I know. Don't talk," you whisper. "Save your strength."

She laughs but it's hollow. "F-for what?" she asks. Her voice is scratchy and it makes you want to give her water, but you can't.

You don't reply and you know that she wasn't expecting you to.

.

Her eyes flutter shut and she stops breathing. You stroke her cheek. "Par, come on. Open your eyes."

When she doesn't, you take a shaky breath. "No. Don't do this to me, Par. Don't you die! We're in this together, remember. You can't leave me now," you tell her frantically.

She doesn't open her eyes. And you feel her skin cooling. You pull your hand away and wrap your arms around your knees. Burying your face on your knees, you sob.

.

Parvati's gone and you have nothing left to live for.

**A/n – so many thanks to Allie for beta-ing this for me. **


End file.
